Apparatus for oiling windmills.



No. 845,676. y PATENTED' FEB. 26, 1907.

A. BALDASSIN'I.

APPARATUS FOR OILING WINDMILLS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9 1904.

Grim/nu;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST BALDASSINI, OF CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR OILING WINDMILLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26,- 190?;

Application filed November 9, 1904. Serial No- 232,026.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, AUGUST BALDASSINI,

a citizen of the United States, residing at a simple and efficient apparatus with which to equip windmills, so that the bearings thereof can be fed with a lubricant from a supply-receptacle located at the top of the mill and the said lubricant be supplied to said receptacle by manipulations entirely from below, thereby obviating the necessity of climbing the mill and the hazard attending the usual methods of oiling, and also permitting a lighter and less expensive construction of mill.

The invention consists in an oil-feeding receptacle having ducts leading to the bearings of the mill and carried by the rotary top support thereof, guides or tracks extending from or near the ground into proximity to the top support, a carrier for said guides or tracks carrying an oil-receptacle and adapted to extend to the oil-feeding receptacle, and means for hoisting said carrier and for causing the contents of its receptacle to be discharged into the other receptacle.

The invention further consists in certain novel features in the construction and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View in elevation of the top portion of a windmill, showing the application of the invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation of a similar portion, showing the derrick or stationary structure by section taken on the line as 20 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an enlarged side view of a portion of the carrier and its operating parts and showing in dotted lines the position of the oil-receptacle and its operating means when discharging; Fig. 4, a view in elevation, showing the inner side of a portion of the carrier; and Fig. 5, a section View taken through the oil-feeding receptacle.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the stationary structiure or derrick of the mill, and 2 the rotary structure at the top thereof for the shaft 3 from the wind-wheel. (Not shown.) Only so much of the shaft 3 is shownin the drawings to show its bearings 4 and 5. Rigid tubes 6 and 7, having communication with the interior of these bearings, respectively, extend from the topthereof and form supports for the receptacle 8, which is adapted to contain the supply of oil to be fed to the bearings through said tubes. This receptacle'occupies a central position, so that the rotation of the top structure 2 will not disturb its proper relation to the other elements of the apparatus. This receptacle is provided with a circular cover 9 of such size as to provide an annular overhanging portion to be engaged by the oilsupply carrier 10 to lift the cover when supplying the receptacle 8 with oil. A vertical pin or guide 11, rigidly afiixed to the center of the receptacle 8, extends through the open ing 12 in said cover and serves to retain the cover, while permitting it to be raised by contact with the carrier 10 at any point of its circumference. Further protection is given the lubricant by arranging a screen 13 within the receptacle 8 and surliciently below the top thereof as not to interfere with the working of the apparatus by which the receptacle is supplied with oil. V

Extending from the top of the stationary structure to a point at the base thereof are stretched two parallel'wires 14 to form a I track or way for the carrier 10, which is preferably a wooden bar slidably secured thereon by metal loops or guides 15, located adjacent the lower end of said carrier. The location and direction of the track and the length of the carrier is such as to bring the upper end of the carrier in close proximity to the receptacle 8 when said carrier has reached the upper terminus of the track.

The oil-supplying receptacle 16 is tiltably supported at the upper end of the carrier between the arms 17, projecting therefrom and in which the journals 18 have their bearings. These arms 17 project above the top of this receptacle in order that the cover 9 of the oilfeeding receptacle 8 may be raised in advance of the arrival of the supply-receptacle 16 at the limit of its upward movement, and the said cover be supported on said arms and out of the way during the operation of tilting, the supply-receptacle. I

The carrier 10 is raised and lowered fromthe ground by means of a cord 19 orother equivalent means attached to the carrier below the projecting part thereof andpassing over a pulley or guide 20, mounted inthef stationary structure 1 at the terminus of the IIO of the bolt.

receptacle, a cord 22, which connects with the hoisting-cord 19 at a point 23. Normally this cord 22 is inactive and remains slack and is not effected by the pull on the cord 19 as long as the lower end of said cord 22 remains on the carrier side of the pulley or guide 20; but when the carrier hasreached a point to bring the lower end of cord 22 over the pulley, as shown in Fig. 3, the continued hoisting operation of cord 19 carries the lower end of i said cord 22 downward, eliminating the slack therefrom and causing the tilting of the receptacle 16 to take place, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. Upon any release of the hoisting-cord 19 the receptacle 16 is free to right itself by gravity.

In order to maintain the receptacle 16 in its vertical position and prevent any swinging movement thereof until tilted as above, the carrier is provided with a sliding bolt 24, held in position by guides 25 and adapted to engage a keeper 26, with which the receptacle 16 is provided, and is normally projected by means of the springs 27. This bolt is automatically retracted from its keeper 26 by the action of the tilting-cord 22 in advance of the tilting action of the receptacle, as this cord passes through a guide 28 on said bolt and is provided with a stop 29, which engages said guide and causes the retraction of the bolt, and by slack being provided in said cord between the said stop and the eye 21 the retraction is accomplished before the cord is tensioned to tilt the receptacle 16, which follows upon the continued retraction The slack referred to also permits the receptacle 16 to return by gravity to its normal position in advance of the bolt, which is also controlled by the stop 29 on its return and allowed to reach its full projection to engage its keeper 26 only after the receptacle 16 has reached its normal position.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim is- 1. In a windmill, the combination with the tower and the mill rotatably mounted thereon, of a carrier mounted to travel on said tower and adapted to project above the same when carried to the top thereof, an oil-feeding receptacle carried by the mill, an oil-receptacle for the projecting end of said carrier, and means for causing the oil-receptacle of the carrier to empty into said oil-feeding receptacle, substantially as and for the pur pose set forth.

2. In a windmill, the combination with the tower and the mill rotatably mounted thereon, of a track or way extending up said tower and terminating at the top thereof, an oil-feeding receptacle carried by the mill, a carrier adapted to travel on said trackor way and adapted to project above the tower on reaching the upper terminus of said track or way, an oilreceptacle for the projecting end of said carrier and means for causing the same to empty.

into the oil-feeding receptacle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a windmill, the combination with the tower and the mill rotatably mounted thereon, of a carrier mounted to travel to the top of said tower and to project above the same on reaching the top thereof, an oil-feeding 1 receptacle carried by the mill, an oil-receptacle tiltably mountedon the projecting end of said carrier, and means for tilting the carrier-receptacle to empty it into the oil-feeding receptacle substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a windmill, the combination with the tower and the mill rotatably mounted thereon, of a carrier mounted to travel to the top of said tower and adapted to roject above the same on reaching the top t ereof,an oilfeeding receptacle carried by the mill, an oilreceptacle tiltably mounted on the projecting end of said carrier and adapted when tilted in its projected position to empty into said oil-feeding receptacle, a hoisting-cable for said carrier running to the top of said tower and downward therefrom, and means connected to said hoisting means for tilting the oil-receptacle of the carrier by the hoisting operation, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a windmill, an oil-feeding receptacle carried by the rotary top structure, a track or way extending up the stationary structure, a carrier for said track or way, an oil-receptacle tiltable on said carrier and adapted to be projected to said oil-feeding receptacle, a hoist ing means connected to the carrier and passing over and downward from a guide at the upper terminus of the track or way, a locking-bolt for said tiltable oil-receptacle, and means connecting said bolt with the hoisting means, and adapted to be drawn downward thereby at apredetermined point in the hoisting operation, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a windmill, an oil-receptacle carried by the rotary top structure, a track or way extending up the stationary structure, a carrier for said track or way, an oil-receptacle tiltable on said carrier and adapted to be projected to said oil-feeding receptacle, a hoisting means connected to the carrier and passupper terminus of said track or way, and a normally slack connection between said tiltable receptacle and the hoisting means, adapted to receive a pulling strain to tilt said receptacle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a windmill, an oil-receptacle carried by the rotary top structure, a track or way extending up the stationary structure, a carrier for said track or way, an oil-receptacle tiltable on said carrier, and having a boltfor locking said receptacle against tilting, hoisting means connected to the carrier, and passing over and downward from a guide or pulley at the upper terminus of the track or way, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a windmill, an oil-feeding receptacle carried by the rotary top structure, a cover for said receptacle, a carrier movable on the stationary structure, an oil-receptacle adapted to be projected by said carrier to the oilfeeding receptacle and to engage said cover, means for raising said carrier, and means for causing the carrier-receptacle to empty into the oil-feeding receptacle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a windmill, an oil feeding receptacle carried by the rotary top structure, a cover for said receptacle, a central guide for said cover extending from said receptacle, a carrier, an oil-receptacle, adapted to be pro jected from the stationary structure to the oilfeeding receptacle, and to engage and raise said cover, means for raising said carrier, and means for causin the carrier-receptacle to empty into the oileeding receptacle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST BALDASSINI.

Witnesses:

D. 0. SPRING, A. H. WELLS. 

